Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Hi, I’m Carolyn, the founder and publisher of Umami Girl. Over the years I’ve gotten pretty good at making small talk (debatable!), but I much prefer those almost-too-real, life-affirming conversations with good friends that cut to the heart of things or make me snort with laughter. In 2008, after a decade of trying on careers from healthcare consulting to corporate law, I found my home at Umami Girl; and I’ve been sharing conversations about the things that matter most — family, food, home, and adventure — right here with you ever since.

I live in a small seaside town in the greater NYC area with my husband Cope, two amazing daughters Adelaide and Celia, and two cats Mel and Chino. I have a lot of hobbies and kind of an awkward number of degrees and certifications. But mostly I just want to share awesome stuff with you. 

Umami Girl

Umami Girl is your guide to a life well-lived. We are a lifestyle site for curious, thoughtful women who seek to make every day a little special and have a great time doing it. We’re brimming with real talk about the things that matter most — family, food, home, and adventure — and we hope you’ll love digging in.

Way back in 2008, Carolyn started Umami Girl as a food blog to help members of her CSA figure out what to do with the weird-wonderful fruits and vegetables they were receiving every week. Recipes always came with personal stories, cultural commentary, and excitement about the great people and things we were coming across in the world.

That was fun, but sometimes you just want a soup recipe, right? 

That’s why Umami Girl eventually built a bigger house — one with dedicated spaces for family and life (from wellness to music, books, and culture, to careers), food, home (from interiors and gardening to low-key DIY), and adventure (vacations, local haunts, and more). We’ll be growing into all those spaces with you in the days to come, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

Umami means “yummy” or “delicious” in Japanese. In food and in life, umami is that little something extra that makes an experience greater than the sum of its parts. That little something extra is exactly what Umami Girl is all about.

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We’d Love to Hear From You

Have a recipe question, a travel tip, a product recommendation, or just an interest in saying hello? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at [email protected]!

Umami Girl partners with brands on a case-by-case basis when we find a good fit. We’d be happy to hear what you have in mind or to brainstorm great ideas for content together. Feel free to request our media kit.

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